There is a grassroots campaign to save BACK TO YOU. Fox canceled it but CBS is supposedly interested. I always thought CBS would be a better place for it anyway.There is a petition you can sign to show your support.
Best of luck and if it works I'm starting a petition for ALMOST PERFECT.
AMERICAN IDOL recap to follow shortly.
We may need a general "Save the Sitcom" campaign. ABC's new fall schedule has, well, the same number of original half-hour sitcoms as MyNetworkTV's current line-up.
ReplyDeleteTonight MASH is on Truth Behind Sitcom Scandals along with Loveboat on the Bio channel
ReplyDeleteWhile it is a sitcom that showed off mostly at the level of some good casting choices and is dependable with the writing, the not-Frasier dialogs that still deliver laughs... in terms of the logic connecting plot and episodes it always feels half-finished, and still form-finding. Like watching rehearsals.
ReplyDeleteWhich is bad news after a lengthy break in the season, and then back to the episodes where by the sixth episode you're still being introduced to new characters, or in some cases, the third change in a character you just thought was now established. Nothing seemed to remain consistent enough to get bearings on whether or not to laugh with them or at them.
Kelsey always looked like he was working a bit too hard to keep the energy going. And let's face it, the whole willtheywon'tthey premise is pretty hard to believe for each episode, let alone this "child" issue is actually important as it should be in the real situation.
It had alot of potential, and I for one would still sign the petition (although lousy website with pop-ups doesn't invite you to do so)
Sorry but they lost me when they recast the daughter. The first one is the real-life sister of the actress who played Luke's daughter on Gilmore Girls. She's witty. The new girl is supposed to be older than she looks and acts. It's ridiculous. They were re-tooling like crazy and it didn't help. The question remains who they were retooling for? Fox? Or themselves?
ReplyDeleteBesides, after 11 years of doubting every relationship, Kelsey Grammer simply isn't believable as the Love Machine he supposedly was on "Back to You". It was never believable.
Still the show had chemistry and I think it would have worked if they just would not have started re-tooling it. I liked it the way it was from the get-go. But now I don't know what I would be rooting for because who knows what they would do to the show if it actually got picked up by another network.
I used to have a rule: if Fred Willard is in it, it can't be too bad. Then he was in Epic Movie. It's still not a bad rule of thumb, but no longer ironclad.
ReplyDeleteI miss sitcoms. You know the type? Four cameras? Live audience. Scripts. People in the seats? I really miss them. Are they gone forever?
ReplyDeletePlease someone bring them back.
these petitions NEVER work. shame. i would have loved for the 'carnivale' petition to payoff.
ReplyDeletethat said, i don't think 'back to you' deserves a petition. as is apparent, there are better shows to put your signiture behind. unless they are your friends, of course.
It just doesn't work. It's too mean for the older audience and it's too formula for the young people.
ReplyDeleteRather than try to get on CBS maybe they should try to be on TV Land? It feels like from another era, and not in a good classic way (say M*A*S*H, Taxi, Cheers, etc.) More in a tired, seen it all before way.
ReplyDeleteWe need new voices on TV, not these two again.
If CBS picks it up, which I'm hoping will happen, they should go back to their original cast. The recast must have been part of a network retool issue, and it really hurt the show IMO. Did you have to deal with network retooling on Almost Perfect Ken? It must be a real bitch trying to cope with the Networks decisions, while still struggling to find an audience and a path to your show. Anyway, CBS should just take a deep breath, and count the number of emmys between those actors and writers, and pick it up now. I'm sorry, if there are any fans of Till Death here, but it sure did not deserve the extra season over Back to you, and it's time it died already.
ReplyDeleteI propose a three way swap. Back to You goes from Fox to CBS. Moonlight goes from CBS to CW and the CW sends Fox Aliens in America.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was the only one who was sensitive about the actress playing the daughter-character being replaced! So I'm not crazy!
ReplyDeleteThe first actress had chemistry with Kelsey - a child actor who could act, and added to the scene whenever she entered it. I actually looked forward to more of those interactions. Which is different than Fred Willard, for example, from whom you expect the "quip" every so many minutes.
It's ironic the actress gets replaced right before her character has more screen time in the two-part "serious" episodes of her finding out Kelsey is her biological father.
Back To You never worked for me. Not sure why, given the amazing actors on it. I wanted to like it, but I just didn't.
ReplyDeleteUnlike diogo above, I've been a huge fan of 'Til Deah' in the past. The show was a funny reflection on married life, comparing the old married couple to the newlyweds.
The addition of the character Kenny was a jump the shark move in my opinion and I've not enjoyed this season at all. This character is not funny to me and took scene time away from the regular cast members, especially the Woodcocks. The show changed direction ... downward. Kenny doesn't add anything to the marriage theme. Now the show is just sad.
Do you actually like this show, or do you wanna save it because all your friends are on it?
ReplyDeleteBack To You deserved to be canceled. It's a very dull, old-fashioned format with lead actors who are no longer interesting to the public and supporting characters who are just bland stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteWriters need to realize that the 1980s and 1990s are over. It's time to move on. Audiences want something modern, unusual, or daring, like The Office, Flight of the Conchords, or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Drop the laugh tracks, live audiences, and formulas, and create something new. Otherwise young people will continue to abandon TV.
Hey Ken thanks for supporting ths!
ReplyDeleteThe cast changes were made due to network pressure.And they still cancelled them without giving a chance to find its audience. I truly believe that this show was hurt by the strike and badly mishandled by FOX after it. Too many schedule changes and breaks. This was a new show, it had and has a lot of promise. Besides, Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer are a joy to watch.The show seems dated .....???? Well, if you're used to watching comedies with Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan I wouldn't expect otherwise!
I'll join the no-thanks movement and not add my signature. I gave up on this show back in the beginning after four episodes. It's not "old-fashioned", it's just not very good. Stilted. Predictable. Fred Willard will now deliver a whacky quip. Sexy girl will now make a tiresome sex quip. Nerd quip, and so on.
ReplyDelete"Predictable. Fred Willard will now deliver a whacky quip. Sexy girl will now make a tiresome sex quip. Nerd quip, and so on."
ReplyDeleteWait - isn't that Family Guy you just described?
Well, I guess CBS passed on the show as well, because it does not appear on their list of renewed and new shows at the upfronts. Could they still afford to reach a deal for mid-season? Do people really prefer quircky dramas to this? People seem to want zannier things now. I mean, even NBC's schedule seems to be plagued with fantasy SCI FI shows (I'd love to be a bug on the wall on the meeting where it was decided that bringing back Knight rider would be a good idea). Personally I never understood it. Is pushing daisies really that good? A pie shop with guys that can resurect the dead? stop the world, I wanna get out. And meanwhile masterpiece's like the office get crappy ratings (and the worst time slot ever), up against Grey's and CSI. I guess my question is, who are the morons who do the schedules?
ReplyDeleteI think this show is great! It highly deserves a second-season renewal. I think FOX has completely given up on the show, so CBS are the ones to go to now. Just because the show is currently not on their fall lineup doesn't mean they're still not considering it. They could always reach some day to pick it up for midseason, or even late fall. You never know at this point.
ReplyDeleteI hope people are signing the petition, because we are now over 3100 signatures, whichis pretty good considering it's only been up for 3 days. I think the campaign is also a great idea to get people to support the show - I sent my 2 cases of bottled water to FOX a couple days ago. Allyou have to do is send 1 bottle at the least, just to show your support.
I only saw the Pilot but it was really hacky. is there really any reason to save it? seems like Grammers tallents could be put to better use.
ReplyDeleteDo you watch 'How I Met Your Mother', Ken? The most recent episode had a couple of 'Cheers' shout-outs, including mention of Anton Kreitzer.
ReplyDeletei think Sputnik's comment that Back To You is to mean for the older audience and too formula for younger people is spot on. And it fits most of Steve Levitan's comedies. Even Just Shoot Me, his most succesful series suffers from it, although there the setting warrented a meaner spirit. But is was the humanity of the main ctors that carried it through and made for the best episodes. Stacked was just like Back to You - well written, great unknown actors in the bit parts and great bits on the well known actors. His best effort to me was Stark Raving Mad - a show which fit Levitan's sensibillities best.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Murray - I found this show predictable and not very funny. Can't say I'll miss it much if it does get cancelled.
ReplyDeleteYou know...I really wanted to like this show, my husband and I both did. We're huge fans of Frasier, it has become our favorite sitcom of all time and we love Kelsey and although I hated "Everybody Loves Raymond" because I can't stand the whole "men are dumb, women are smart" premise, that wasn't Patricia's fault.
ReplyDeleteSo we watched the premiere with high hopes that steadily wilted. We were so supportive we were even nervous about it. (Please don't bomb, please don't bomb, oh look, that was kinda funny, wasn't that kinda funny, Dan? Yes, it was. Sort of. Let's laugh anyway, maybe the energy will help this already taped show)
So you'll say, well, your hopes were too high, guys; you can't put that much pressure on a new show, the cast has to get comfortable with their characters and the writers have to find their groove and you are right and we are aware of that but...
But we still couldn't bring ourselves to like the show.
:(
Sorry.
From today's Hollywood Reporter:
ReplyDelete"Absent from the schedule is sitcom 'Back to You,' which Fox cancelled last week. Reilly defended keeping the lower-rated sitcom 'Til Death' over the Kelsey Grammar comedy, admitting that cast salaries were a factor.
'With its proximity to 'Idol,' the expectations were higher,' he said. 'The show did not really strike a chord. Creatively, it was a mixed bag. We're looking to find that next generation of comedy hits and it just did not feel like it would fit into that mix.'"
It sounds like he's looking for instant hits, and that's just not a thing that comes too often. I'm also a little surprised to hear those words come out of his mouth, because, up untill now he always seemed like the guy that stuck by failling shows, and let them have time to find its audience. For those who don't know, Reilly was partly responsible for bringing the Shield to FX, and was the one who greenlighted Aaron Sorkin's studio 60 for a full season, last year on NBC. Maybe that failure and the huge costs, plus the cost of his job at NBC taught him to be more cautious with his boldness. It's a pity, I had respect for the guy. Fox should just become known as the "13 and out" network from now on, because there are gonna be a lot of those. For every instant hit there are dozens of failed shows, and if those don't have a chance, than, it's just bad theater.
ReplyDeleteBack to you was not a family show like AI that's why being a lead in to Idol didn't help as expected. I mean, I doubt parents would sit with their kids through "Chuck and Kelly doin' it again" and then tune in to Idol. This show would have had better results at 9 or 9:30 but I guess we'll never know now because Fox never gave it a chance.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as creativity is concerned I find it so comical that they think Til Death is the 'next generation' comedy they're looking for. But then again, I wouldn't expect much from Fox anyway!
Fox is in good shape, sitcom-wise, after the success of spin-off "American Dad", "Family Guy" is extending the line-up with yet another new spin-off, based on the african-american character "Cleveland". The new Norman Lear?
ReplyDeleteRead today that Kelsey himself called up CBS and begged them to consider taking BTY on, and a day later got a call saying, basically, "Sorry... not interested."
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of Patricia Heaton.
ReplyDeleteWe want more of Back to you.
I wonder if Fox tv is being run by a bunch of people in their 30s.
Fox only puts on shows based by ratings, not what people like.
I can't believe The Simpsons stay on the air, and they take off Back to you.
Two major tv stars on this show Kelsey Grammer (Cheers and Frasier)
Patricia Heaton (Everybody loves Raymond) They also took off the air America's most wanted. Fox brought it back by popular demand.
Now let's bring back this show.
If Fox decides for good not to bring this show back.
The show on dvd should be Back to you the complete series.